One hour earlier
As soon as Al landed and climbed out of the MIG-31, he saw Vance waiting for him. He was leaning against an SUV with his arms crossed, smoking a cigarette. Al dreaded having to listen to his friend’s bellyaching about what a screw-up he was, and how he lost Berardi. He was already a few hours late due to a small mechanical problem before takeoff and now he had to put up with Vance’s smart-ass comments. He handed his helmet to the ground crew and climbed out of the flight harness. He thanked the pilot for the lift and headed towards the SUV. “I knew you would lose the bastard,” were Vance’s first words.
“Yeah, whatever,” Al responded and returned the comment with, “But I did get Alex Pike out alive. Don’t I at least get a hug for that?”
Vance uncrossed his arms and held them wide, “Come on, it’s hug time.”
“Never mind, I’d rather have you buy me a beer.”
Vance laughed and opened the door. “Like I said, killing, breaking things, you’re good at. Capturing, friendly conversations, and picking up chicks, you’re not.”
Al ignored him and climbed in. “So what’s the plan?”
“Where’s my money,” Vance asked with a straight face.
Al pulled out his wallet and opened it, showing that it was completely empty.
“Okay then, you buy the beer,” Vance said, climbing in after him.
“We have a debriefing with Churchill and Ed, I think.”
“Natalie?”
“Oh yeah, her too,” Vance said. He then asked, “So what happened?”
“Nothing, he just got away.”
“That’s it? What did he do, hold you down, tickle you until you couldn’t breathe, and slip away?”
“Yep, just like that.”
“Figures,” Vance said, glancing out the tinted window as the driver made his way out of the airport. As they were approaching the White House, the driver received a call and became frantic. “There was an explosion under the White House!”
“When?” Al asked.
“Just now.”
“Ah, shit,” Vance said.
Al noticed the area was rapidly diving into chaos. Another security man ran up to the car while it was still moving. “We’re evacuating,” he yelled out. “The CIA director will meet you two outside.” He pointed to a row of armored troop carriers parked along the far end of the driveway.
“All righty, then,” Vance said, bolting out of the car. They joined dozens of military and civilian personnel scrambling in all directions. Just then, Al also noticed a cloud of black smoke silhouetted against the night sky that had formed above the tent covering the hole. “That can’t be good,” he said.
One of the troop carriers began backing up, and as it did, Ms, Churchill, Ed, Alex, and Natalie exited the main door, followed by two more armed guards.
As they all hurried past, Churchill said to Al and Vance, “Stay close.”
She led the way to the back of an armored car that had just backed up. Several men and women were running by and heading in the direction of the driveway.
The back door of the armored troop carrier opened and a soldier inside with a headset on yelled to the director, “This is definitely an attack.”
“The other entrance,” Churchill demanded. The man pulled out his radio, spoke a few words, listened to the response, and then said, “Our men are approaching there now.”
“They are destroying the writing,” Alex said. “Yes, they are,” Ed replied. “But who are they?” Al stepped closer to the back of the armored vehicle next to Churchill to listen in on the conversation. The soldier in the armored troop carrier was speaking into his radio and Al clearly overheard another voice responding, “Go, red actual.”
“In position. Setting up perimeter.”
“Roger.”
“Moving in ten seconds.”
“Roger, standing by.”
Vance bumped next to Al, also attempting to listen in.
The voice came over the radio, “Casualties.”
“Roger.”
“Four dead in vehicles.”
“Go on.”
A few seconds went by until the voice came back on, “Two more dead in alley”; a brief pause, then, “unable to enter through window into basement; heavy smoke.”
“Roger,” the man in the armored car said, and then turned the radio volume down. “Fire crews on their way.” Ms. Churchill turned to Al, “They got us.”
“It sure sounds that way,” he answered. Natalie walked up to them. “Why would they do this?” Alex spoke up, “It’s a tactic they use; it’s called destroying the evidence.”
“I knew this was going to happen,” Ed said, focusing on Churchill. “It’s unfortunate but it’s their pattern and don’t bother looking for them; they’re gone.”
“I will take that under advisement,” Churchill said, obviously not liking that comment. She then turned to Al as if she was reading his thoughts. “We’re losing control here, Al. We have knights on horses randomly attacking and killing students, and now they openly attack the White House.”
“Knights?” Al asked, not sure what she meant by that.
Ed grabbed Al’s arm and pulled him over. “I need you and Vance to head to Georgia immediately. We absolutely need to find out what the knights were looking for and why.”
Al asked again, “What knights?”
Ms. Churchill stepped away from the vehicle and said, “I will organize the flight immediately.” She motioned to one of her security men and spoke to him.
“What knights, damn it?” Al demanded.
“Knights on horseback attacked the University of Georgia,” Ms. Churchill said.
“What the hell?”
Ed paused for a moment and looked around and then focused on Ms. Churchill. “The information we were able to acquire from down there must be deciphered immediately.” He paused again and walked over to the back of the eight-wheeled armored vehicle. He glanced inside and then turned around, “My dear, would you happen to have any more of these vehicles available?”
Without answering, she stepped back to the rear of the vehicle and said, “You can have this one.” She then pulled a note out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Ed. “I almost forgot to tell you that the forensic people examining the skeletons found something that you need to go look at.”
Al glanced at Vance, “They can’t be serious about horses and knights?”
Vance shrugged.
Churchill spoke to the driver, then told Ed, “The driver will take you there now.”
One of the security men stepped up to Al and Vance. “Come with me, please. I’ve been instructed to escort you to the airport.”
Al grumbled, “Dammit, I just got here!”